FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.59.26

नम: पङ्कजनाभाय नम: पङ्कजमालिने । नम: पङ्कजनेत्राय नमस्ते पङ्कजाङ्‍‍घ्रये ॥ २६ ॥
namaḥ paṅkaja-nābhāya
[namah pankaja-naabhaaya]
namaḥ paṅkaja-māline
[namah pankaja-maaline]
namaḥ paṅkaja-netrāya
[namah pankaja-netraaya]
namas te paṅkajāṅghraye
[namas te pankajaanghraye]
Word-for-word
namaḥ — all respectful obeisances paṅkaja - nābhāya — unto the Lord who has a specific depression resembling a lotus flower in the center of His abdomen namaḥ — obeisances paṅkaja - māline — one who is always decorated with a garland of lotus flowers namaḥ — obeisances paṅkaja - netrāya — one whose glance is as cooling as a lotus flower namaḥ te — respectful obeisances unto You paṅkaja - aṅghraye — unto You, the soles of whose feet are engraved with lotus flowers (and who are therefore said to possess lotus feet) .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
namaḥ paṅkaja-nābhāya
namaḥ
all respectful obeisances
paṅkaja - nābhāya
unto the Lord who has a specific depression resembling a lotus flower in the center of His abdomen
namaḥ
obeisances
namaḥ paṅkaja-māline
paṅkaja - māline
one who is always decorated with a garland of lotus flowers
namaḥ paṅkaja-netrāya
namaḥ
obeisances
paṅkaja - netrāya
one whose glance is as cooling as a lotus flower
namas te paṅkajāṅghraye
namaḥ te
respectful obeisances unto You
paṅkaja - aṅghraye
unto You, the soles of whose feet are engraved with lotus flowers (and who are therefore said to possess lotus feet) .
Important Words
  • paṅkaja - nābhāya — to the lotus-naveled Lord
    Compound: paṅkaja (lotus, 'mud-born') + nābha (navel). From Viṣṇu's navel rises the lotus on which Brahmā sits — the entire cosmos sprouts from this one organ. Gauḍīyas keep this image in front of any reading of cosmology.
  • paṅkaja - māline — to the wearer of a lotus garland
    Compound: paṅkaja + mālin (garlanded). The Lord's vana-mālā — the forest-flower garland — frequently includes lotuses; an aesthetic detail Bhūmi savors.
  • paṅkaja - netrāya — to the lotus-eyed Lord
    Compound: paṅkaja + netra (eye). Padma-locana is one of Kṛṣṇa's most cherished epithets — His glance, cool and elongated like a lotus petal. Gauḍīyas spend entire ślokas on this glance.
  • paṅkaja - aṅghraye — to the lotus-footed Lord
    Compound: paṅkaja + aṅghri (foot). Lotus feet — the soles marked with lotus, the destination of all śaraṇāgati. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's entire Śikṣāṣṭaka is, in effect, a meditation on these feet.
My respectful obeisances are unto You, O Lord, whose abdomen is marked with a depression like a lotus flower, who are always decorated with garlands of lotus flowers, whose glance is as cool as the lotus and whose feet are engraved with lotuses.
Purport

Queen Kuntī offered this same prayer, which is found in First Canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam , Chapter 8, text 22. The synonyms and translation given here are taken from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s rendering of that text. We may also note that although Kuntī’s prayer occurs early in the Bhāgavatam, she offered it many years after the incident described here.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
My respectful obeisances are unto You, O Lord, whose abdomen is marked with a depression like a lotus flower, who are always decorated with garlands of lotus flowers, whose glance is as cool as the lotus and whose feet are engraved with lotuses.
Commentary

She described the sweet beauty of Krsna, indicating that when Krsna came before her, her senses had reached their perfection.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya
Commentary

This verse elaborates on the phrase deva-deveśa of the last verse and praises Kṛṣṇa. Śrīdhara Svāmī in his commentary makes lotus feet in the dual form, since Kṛṣṇa has two feet, even though only one of his feet is marked with the lotus. Using the word “lotus” can also be interpreted as an expression of the Lord’s beauty. His navel is compared to a lotus because his navel is deep like a lake, from which the lotus of Brahmā sprouts, or because Kṛṣṇa has a navel shaped like a lotus. The first three elements—navel, garland and eyes--are described in order of increasing beauty and consequently excellence. The feet are placed last to indicate beauty as an expression of devotion.

Related values & verses
Related values
Shraddha (Faith / Reverence)Bhakti (Devotion)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)
Related verses
BG 14.1 BG 9.11 BG 12.6 BG 17.3 BG 5.18 BG 9.34 BG 13.5 BG 18.1 BG 3.10 BG 18.64 BG 10.3 BG 10.4 BG 6.13 BG 7.8 BG 18.37
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Obeisances to You, lotus-marked abdomen, lotus-garlanded, lotus-glance, lotus-engraved feet — same prayer Kuntī offered. Specific imagery is shared across great devotees; tradition lends words.
Reflection Questions
  • Where could you borrow the words of great devotees rather than invent fresh ones?
  • How does shared prayer link you to lineage?
Analogy

Four times Bhūmi says 'lotus' — His navel, His garland, His glance, His feet. The flower the rest of the world only borrows for offering, He is. Bhakti's poetic instinct: when language begins to repeat, it has found the right object.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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